From the Website of CBCP
Jaro chooses Mary as ‘model of love for poor’
JARO, Iloilo, Feb. 6, 2015 — Who else can show us how to be poor and love the poor but Mary?
This is precisely how Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo explained the role of the Blessed Virgin in the recent Year of the Poor celebration of the “Jaro Fiesta” on Feb. 2.
Archbishop Angel N. Lagdameo blesses candles as part of the Archdiocese of Jaro’s celebration of the Presentation of Our Lord, popularly known as the “Jaro Fiesta”, Feb. 2, 2015. (Photo: Vincent Valencia)
For the poor, with the poor
“Mary’s special love for the poor holds a special meaning in this Year of the Poor, as we usher in the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord,” explained the prelate who stressed the context of the nine-year spiritual journey set by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
To emphasize the archdiocese’s pastoral priority this year, Lagdameo said: “For the Jaro Fiesta, we have chosen Our Lady of Candles as model of love for the poor. The family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Egypt and in Nazareth was known to be an example of charity and compassion toward their immediate neighborhood and community.”
“The Church has always been poor from the beginning and throughout history… It is in order to serve the poor, work for the poor, be with the poor and deliver the poor from inhuman, unjust and unworthy poverty,” he added.
Total consecration
The prelate also led the faithful in consecrating the Archdiocese of Jaro to the Blessed Virgin Mary that day.
In an interview with CBCP News, Lagdameo explained that the act of total consecration to the Blessed Virgin may be made anytime. But, since it was the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, the act of consecration was renewed under the invocation of Our Lady of Candles.
“The act of total consecration to Holy Mary that we have renewed today takes on special significance when we consider the recent visit of the Holy Father who not only encouraged us and consoled us with his presence but also challenged us in our mission,” Lagdameo said.
The Church celebrates the feast of the Presentation of the Lord forty days after Christmas day. It was also known as “Candlemas” or “Candelaria” since the blessing and procession of candles is included in feast’s liturgy. (Fr. Mickey Cardenas/CBCPNews)
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Religious call for creation of Mamasapano ‘truth commission’
MANILA, Feb. 5, 2015 – An umbrella organization of men and women religious calls for the creation of an independent fact-finding commission to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of 44 Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) and 18 members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in what many are calling Mamasapano Black Sunday.
44 PNP-SAF members were killed in a bloody clash with MILF and BIFF elements on Jan. 25, 2015 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. (Photo: Joan Archimedes)
“We…call for the establishment of a Truth Commission to conduct an independent investigation on the incident resulting to an unnecessary loss of lives and to determine accountability as well as command responsibility,” said the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP) in a recent statement.
The group, comprising 268 women religious congregations and 88 men religious congregations in the country, said that such a move is based on the belief that peace “is founded on justice and mutual trust.”
“The restoration of the Filipino people’s trust is vital in any peace-building effort and mature governance of our nation,” the group explained, noting, as well the urgency of continuing peace talks between the government and the MILF.
According to the AMRSP, shifting the blame from one institution or personality to another should stop.
“We must stop endlessly blaming one another and instead heed the cries of the people crying for peace and justice,” reads the statement.
The group also warned against letting a desire for vengeance color the resolution to the issues regarding the Mamasapano incident.
“…(W)e must not allow vengeance to reign in our hearts. Vengeance will never restore whatever is lost,” it added, stressing that “an all-out war” against the MILF and the BIFF would not only be futile, but would lead to more conflict and deaths. (CBCPNews)
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